Salvation and Primal Desire's
by homra-kid
Summary: Hair that sparkled like gold, blue eyes that put the color of the ocean to shame and skin that was softly kissed by the sun. He was a beautiful human but he was an animal in disguise, an animal so wild and free spirited that he could not be broken, not even by a titan. Akuroku, set in the Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) universe.


**Salvation and Primal Desire's**

**Part 1**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story whatsoever. They belong to the creators of Kingdom Hearts & Shingeki no Kyojin.

**Warnings:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, crossovers, death, fast paced, time skips and also some mild OOC-ness…. If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

**Rating:** M

**Fandom:** Shingeki no Kyojin/Kingdom Hearts

**Pairings:** Axel x Roxas, Rivaille x Eren, Leon x Cloud, Riku x Sora and more.

**Music:** "E.T. ft. Kanye West" by Katy Perry

**A/N:** God I'm screwed. This is the result of having no wifi for the last week and a half after I've been watching and reading too much Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) the week before. And after rereading a few Akuroku stories on my pocket fiction app, I felt an enormous urge to put this together with very little thought in mind except wanting to write a drama filled mash up of romance, action, suspense and in essence, death.

There's going to be a lot of drama and I guess exaggeration from Roxas' character as he develops and in a way it's similar to Eren's attitude but at the same time it's not. I'll be sure to write some quirky moments though to relieve some of the tension but overall, this is purely to satisfy my romance/angsty needs.

So yeah, I don't know about you guys, but I just had a lot of fun writing this and really mixing up the Kingdom Hearts and Shingeki no Kyojin universes together. Like or don't like, but I had fun and that's all that matters to me (:

o0o0o0o

"Roxas, what are you doing here? You ran away from home again didn't you?"

"Oh come on Cloud!" Zack slapped the blond across the back playfully. "The kid hardly ever gets to see you anymore."

"He's right you know." Squall commented with a short laugh. "Cut the kid some slack."

Hearing this, Cloud turned his narrowed blue eyes on the brunet. "Excuse me?"

"Whoa there, down boy." He said, his index finger pointing to the ground. The brunet's actions only served to make the younger male growl warningly and as a result, he muttered a quick apology.

"Cloud, Squall, you guys never have time to visit me!" Roxas stomped his foot. "Why does it matter if I ran away to see you? It's not like I have anywhere else to go! And besides, I missed you…"

"Roxas, we missed you too but you should know by now how busy Squall and I have been." He crossed his arms in a scolding manner and Roxas glared at him in response.

"What about me?" Zack pointed to himself. "Didn't you miss me too?"

"Cloud's my brother and I knew Squall before I knew you." The little blond pointed out bluntly, causing Zack to stare before he threw his arms around the older Strife.

"Your brother is so cold!"

"He's just straightforward, there's a difference Zack." Cloud sighed as he gave his friend a few well deserved pats on the back. "Look, Roxas I need to take you home. It isn't safe to be here."

"What? But I just got here! Why can't I go home tomorrow?!" He pouted. Running up to the older blond, he gripped his hand tightly and whined. "I want to stay with you! Just until tomorrow, please? I'll be good, I won't cause any trouble!"

"Roxas don't argue with me. Whether you like it or not, you're going home."

"Cloud it isn't fair! It took me two days to get here and I never get to see you anymore!" Roxas cried this time, his vision blurring as a thin layer of moisture began to collect on the surface of his fierce blue eyes. "Ever since dad died, it's like you don't want to see me!"

"Roxas that isn't tru—"

"Yes it is!" The younger boy shot back. "You hardly send me letters anymore either! What kind of big brother are you?!"

"Roxas!"

"Forget it Cloud! I obviously don't mean anything to you!" Roxas exclaimed, this time catching everyone within earshot off guard as he turned heel and ran away from him.

"Wait! Roxas!" Cloud was about to run after him but Squall quickly shot his hand out and caught him by the wrist.

"I'll get him."

"No, Squall I—"

The brunet shook his head. "You know what he is like Cloud. Just think, by the time I come back with him, he'll be throwing himself into your arms and crying like a baby. I'll get him, I promise." He said, his other hand reaching out to cup the blonde's cheek.

Staring in the direction that Roxas ran off in, the older Strife nodded his head stiffly. "Okay, just bring him back safely." He said, his face leaning into the other's open palm.

Taking a step closer, Squall pressed his lips against the other's cheek and gave him a whispered 'I will.' before jogging off after the fuming boy.

After watching the other man leave, Cloud sighed heavily and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He was aggravated; however he understood where his kid brother was coming from. But because of his words, it didn't take long for his guilt to seep through his controlled façade. He hadn't been giving the boy enough attention as of late and the more he put off his letters and visits, the more restless Roxas grew until he finally pulled off a stunt like this.

It wasn't safe to have a child roaming around the military grounds so close to Wall Maria and Shiganshina without proper surveillance though. It was dangerous. After all, anything could happen since they were close to Titan territory and he would never be able to forgive himself if harm came to his baby brother under his supervision. He couldn't take that risk—not like their father did and because Luxord indulged Roxas by letting him visit so frequently in the past, the boy grew spoiled being surrounded by the soldiers of the Scouting Legion.

No. He wasn't actually spoiled per say, just outspoken and damn rebellious. Headstrong really! Which was an attitude shared by most of the other members the Recon Corps. It was probably inevitable that the younger Strife would have taken after them anyways after having grown up closely to the military branch thanks to Luxord.

"Wow, he sure has some spitfire, doesn't he?" Zack remarked.

"Tell me about it." He muttered and began rubbing the strain in his temples. "I'm an awful brother, aren't I?"

"No, no, not awful just—really bad at communicating, that's all."

"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better."

"Glad I could help. So, what are you going to do when Squall brings him back?"

Cloud hung his head in shame and sighed loudly this time. Glaring at the dirt beneath his feet, it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was going to give into his brother's demands and Zack grinned widely at the expense of his best friend's muttering. The younger Strife sure knew how to get what he wanted and it seemed like he didn't care what method he used in order to obtain it, regardless if he meant to hurt his older brother's feelings or not.

"Roxas has got you wrapped around his finger." The dark haired soldier laughed.

"Just shut up."

"What? You know it's true."

o0o0o0o

The Scouting Legion's base near Shiganshina was a short distance away from the wall district. Other than receiving one or two questions from the soldiers of the Garrison unit, Roxas had little to no trouble gaining transportation before entering the bustling town. He was the youngest son of the House of Strife and despite being only seven years old, he had more prestige than the population of Wall Maria and Wall Rose put together. Just the flash of the wolf ornament hanging on his ear was enough to send most adults looking the other way and protection from any of the three military branches was automatically guaranteed. Roxas hardly enjoyed seeing the look of fear and resentment from the masses though but when it came to situations like running away from body guards and big brothers, well he could be a little appreciative of his lineage from time to time so long as things worked in his favor.

It was so lively in Shiganshina and seeing how happy the citizens were acting made Roxas scoff with irritation. It was an illusion—a lie. He didn't understand how they could possibly be content with living in such an enclosed environment. Like an animal trapped in a cage. It was maddening and it made him feel sick to his stomach. Even beyond the walls of Maria and Rose, in Sina, the people there made him feel even more repulsed. It was disgusting and he couldn't wait until he was old enough to become a trainee and join the Scouting Legion like his brother Cloud and their father, Luxord Corwin Strife, the former lance corporal.

Wandering up and down the streets, Roxas' thoughts drifted in and out from memories of his mother before she fell ill to visiting the Scouting Legion's base to see his father and later his brother. He understood how important the goals of the Recon Corps were and because of their immense courage to fight for humanity's right to explore and reclaim homes lost to the Titans—he wanted more than anything to see their dreams come true.

"No one deserves to be caged in this illusionary paradise for the rest of their lives." Luxord once told him. "There is a whole new world beyond these walls, an old world but to us it is a place long forgotten and never seen before. One day, you'll be able to see it and that is my mission. To give you and humanity back the world we lost to those insatiable monsters."

Roxas remembered so many things. The stories of his ancestors, warriors who plundered both the land and sea that reigned from the far north centuries ago—Vikings was what they were called. Stories of deserts, snowy mountains and creatures of many species, even creatures of mythology which he believed still existed like the sea monster that lived in the deep oceans and the dragons of the sky his people tamed—or so the legend goes. He believed in it all—they were more than just stories to him. It was just unfortunate that no one else outside of the Strife household understood him. Other children from the noble households told him it was forbidden to think of such outrageous ideas and they even had the audacity to call them lies. But if they were lies than why did his family have books about them? Why were there illustrations and volumes of information that probably couldn't be found anywhere else except in his family's library? Roxas once asked his father that question, but all the man could tell him was that most everyone at this point feared what was now considered a distant fairy tale.

"They have lost all hope to regain the world outside of these walls, which is why for us—the soldiers of the Scouting Legion, it is our duty to carry the torch for them and light the way for the future of humanity." Luxord had once recited to him.

Even though the bravest of all three military branches had few in numbers and successes, their hearts were strong and their determination was inextinguishable. In Roxas' eyes, they were the prime example of what it meant to be a soldier. He didn't care that everyone else saw the Recon Corps as a bunch of misfits fighting for what they thought was a worthless dream—because sometimes, it takes a misfit to change the course of history, to change a whole society. Misfits stood out like a rotten banana and most of all, they were in essence, a force to reckon with and were not to be underestimated no matter what the circumstances. That's what his father taught him.

By this point, Roxas lost track of where he was going and before long, he came upon what looked to be the Shiganshina docks. He watched the surface of the water glimmer, distorted reflections of buildings, people and the sun dancing along with the slow moving waves. It was memorizing, he felt like he could stare at it forever and watch the world pass him by. That's if they didn't think twice about his existence.

However, the tranquil moment wasn't meant to last as a flash of light and smoke struck down on the earth just beyond the wall and cut through the sky like a knife. A sudden pulsation in the ground followed after the unnatural sight and quite literally, everyone was thrown off balance. Roxas just barely managed to catch himself from falling into the water and when he looked up towards the gate of Wall Maria where the bolt of lightning struck, all the color drained from his face. The look of serene and disappointment was now replaced by fear.

He'd seen titans from a distance with his father atop of Wall Maria before but none of them were as gigantic as the one he saw practically towering over the fifty meter wall. Just looking at the exposed muscle tissue was enough to leave him shaking in his skin and before Roxas could bring himself to turn around and start running back to the Recon Corps base beyond the district—the gate of Wall Maria was broken through with a simple kick from the colossal monster.

Chaos ensued within seconds as the first titan entered the premises. Roxas couldn't remember which way he had come from but he ran like his life depended on it. And it did. All around him he heard screaming. The rubble from the broken gate was scattered everywhere and it tore through other structures and destroyed homes. Already the streets were covered in blood from the unlucky bystanders who couldn't get away in time to evade the stone and bricks that flew from the wall but like the masses, Roxas was running on auto pilot. He couldn't waste time mourning over the anonymous dead when he had to save his own skin.

It was madness.

Left and right Roxas was seeing people scream and run and he knew, not too far behind him, people were already being made into a bloody meal. One look over his shoulder and Roxas could already see a silhouette of a titan lifting a struggling, hysterical man into the air before dropping him down an open mouth and eating him alive. He would never be able to erase the memory from his mind, he was sure of it.

_'Gotta get out! Gotta find Cloud!'_ Roxas' mind screamed, tears running freely down his face as he threw himself forward with each step he took. "Cloud!" He finally cried.

As his brother's name left from between the blonde's lips, a long pale leg shot out from the right of the four way intersection just up ahead of him and the small crowd. In that moment, Roxas watched in horror as a small group of people were kicked into the air; their bodies flying in various directions and from the sound of their gurgled screams, the unseen attack had killed them within seconds. They all landed with a sickening thud on rooftops and pavements, their bones obviously broken and eyes wide open from the shock. They were lifeless but no one could give them a second thought as a fifteen meter titan with vibrant red hair rose from behind the building, its head tilted and staring at them with increased interest that twinkled in its glaring venom green eyes.

The titan hardly gave anyone time to scatter. It grinned cruelly at them, too maliciously to be considered a mindless eating machine and the sight sent shivers down Roxas' spine. In a matter of seconds its right arm shot forward only to swing back and forth at the screaming citizens like a fly swatter.

Roxas ducked just in time to avoid being pushed down on his back by the crowd and smashed up against the sides of the buildings like the unfortunate souls by the titan. Quivering as he sat low on his knees, Roxas dared to look up at the tall lanky monster, his blue eyes watching him frantically. From the corners of his line of vision, he saw mass quantities of blood and limbs smeared across the stone and windows. It made his stomach twist and he covered his mouth quickly to stop himself from vomiting at the terrible sight.

This was it. He was sure of it. He was going to be killed and eaten. Cloud would probably never know what happened to him nor had he even been given the chance to give the older blond an apology for the awful things he said. To live with regrets, it was the worst and Roxas didn't want to die—not before at least seeing his big brother again one last time.

"This is—" Roxas swallowed. "Unfair… this is unfair."

The titan began to walk towards him, its body swaying from side to side. It was in no hurry and it relished the image of the broken child.

"Cloud... I didn't even…" He sniffled, blue eyes burning as his fingers clawed at the dirt. Feeling for something—anything that could fit in the small palms of his hands. "Cloud…"

Even from a distance the titan still managed to pick up on the boy's quiet whimpering. The creature found it odd that the child had yet to turn and run like the other humans and he thought it was rather intriguing. Maybe he was too frozen with fear; maybe he was accepting his inevitable demise? A growl like laughter rumbled in his throat just thinking about it however his amusement was short lived. To his surprise, the little blonde's piercing blue eyes flickered upwards and he glared at him through the tears that streamed down his face.

'"Don't you dare come any closer!" Roxas screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'm not ready to die yet! I'm not going to die! Not until I see my big brother and tell him I'm sorry you gluttonous beast!"

His words miraculously stopped the redheaded titan in its tracks. Gripping a small rock in his right hand, Roxas then took his chance and got up to his feet and threw the stone with all his might. He had but one aim and he was damn grateful that his father put him through kiddy training with bee bee guns and slingshots because he managed to hit his mark without fail, the little rock hitting the fifteen meter giant right in the eyeball.

The titan shrieked from the sudden sting that shot throughout its left eye. Watching the creature stagger backwards as it held the left side of its face; Roxas bolted forward and tried to run past its long legs. He thought he was home free, he could almost taste freedom but the redheaded titan had other ideas and he stomped the ground repeatedly. With the ground quaking under him, Roxas fell forward and scrapped his chin the very second he landed on the dirt road. The area stung and he was pretty sure that he was bleeding but he was in a life or death situation—there was no time to be crying over a bloody chin, even if he felt hot tears prickle at the corners of his narrowed blue eyes.

Scrambling to his feet, Roxas glanced over his shoulder to see the redheaded titan glare daggers at him. Yeah, he was definitely pissed for the rock in his eye and Roxas winced at the angry expression he wore. Even if it killed him, he had to at least try to fight to return to Cloud no matter what.

The titan could see the boy's burning determination to survive and for a reason other than wanting to save his own life, he felt a strange sensation bubble up inside of him for the tiny human. Still his instinct to terrorize the child won him over and he trampled the ground again and again with his heavy feet. He wasn't going to let this one get away but he wasn't going to eat or kill him either—that much he knew.

"Ahhh!" Roxas felt his body jerk and bounce into the air. Each time he hit the ground, he barely managed to find his footing before the titan's stomping sent him flying back up another three or four feet above the earth. He was getting bruises everywhere.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Roxas exclaimed. "You shitty titan!"

Growling in response, the redheaded titan only stomped harder.

The trembling in the ground became devastating and because of the violent tremors it was unavoidable for Roxas to get away unharmed.

"Ahh! Oww!" Roxas cried loudly as he landed on his ankle. This was definitely torture! And was the stupid thing actually taking pleasure in his pain?!

The titan's stomping came to an abrupt halt once it noticed Roxas hugging his right leg tightly to his chest. The boy's form shook considerably and seeing that he was unable to get up, he began to reach a hand out to him.

"Don't fucking touch him!" A figure screamed as it shot straight down and sliced through several of the titan's fingers.

Pulling his wounded hand back, the redheaded titan shook its head violently with a great screech and backpedaled until it fell against the side of a building.

"Roxas!"

Glancing up, Cloud's name nearly left his lips but upon seeing that it was Squall, Roxas still felt just as relieved to be rescued at long last.

"Squall…"

"Roxas!" The brunet scooped the quivering boy up into his arms. "You're hurt!"

"My ankle, I think it's broken."

Nodding, he threw the blonde's hands over his neck. "Hurry, hold onto my neck, wrap your legs around my waist and don't you dare fucking let go." Squall said, his calm composure now broken by the battered and bloody sight of his lover's younger brother.

Doing as he was told, Roxas whimpered into the brunet's collar. As Squall prepared himself to activate his 3D maneuvering gear again, the blond screamed when he saw the redheaded titan get back up only to throw himself forward with open jaws.

The second Squall managed to get them into the air, time felt impossibly slow for Roxas as he saw the titan wrap its uninjured hand around the brunet's left leg. They couldn't make it out in time.

The titan's grip was bone crushing and Squall shouted from the pain. There was no doubt in his mind that the monster had successfully immobilized him and now both he and Roxas were going down. The giant yanked the two back down and with a simple sway of its hand he threw the pair onto the ground and in the process, damaged the 3D maneuvering gear.

In the seconds before Squall and Roxas hit the dirt, the brunet dropped his swords and cradled the boy close to him, using himself as a cushion for the already wounded blond. Squall took as much of the impact of the fall and collision as possible. It was more than just painful but Roxas was his top priority and he'd be damned if he let the boy die while under his watch. Hell, he was sure that Cloud would kill him with his own bare hands if he let that happen and he promised that he would bring him back with his safety in mind. Even if it would most likely kill him in the process, Squall swore he was going to reunite the brothers at any cost.

Lying on the ground with Squall holding him protectively, Roxas groaned into the other's shoulder. The ground thudded loudly in his ears and instantly he knew that the titan wasn't done. Peeking upwards, he saw the red haired titan kneel down close to them. It was going to try and grab them again if not kill them in its powerful grip. He was certain of it.

"Don't touch Squall! Just leave us alone!" Roxas exclaimed tearfully and the titan tilted its head at him. He hugged Squall's body tightly. He wasn't letting go, no matter how scared he felt, he wasn't going to let go nor let the titan make a meal out of him and Squall. "Go away!"

It was unusual for the titan to take any consideration into the human child's words. You could say that he had a habit of _playing_ with his food and _mocking_ it before actually going through the chore of eating it but like the other titans, to actually take the time to listen to the desperation in their enemy's words was rare. But the look in the boy's face, it was different. There was fear, yet at the same time, there was something wild in the way his eyes glared at him. The boy was challenging the titan, daring him to make a move. It reminded the monster of a vicious animal, like a wolf baring its fangs after being pushed into a corner. It was something the giant wasn't used to and even when he had been faced with soldiers during their dying moments, their expressions could hardly compare to the little blond before him.

Pausing, the titan stared down at the blond with its emerald green eyes and hardly made any indication that it would advance towards them, thus stopping its movements entirely.

Squall froze at how close they were to the enemy. It was actually listening to Roxas and the outrageous confrontation between the young boy and man eating creature was astounding. Still, a thin layer of perspiration formed across his brow. Was it really going to let them go? He prayed it would because he was certainly going to have a struggle getting them out of Shiganshina with his left leg busted. Not to mention his 3D maneuvering gear was as good as broken so traveling over the rooftops was impossible as well. Even if this titan were to let them go, there was still the possibility of being picked up by another one. Either way, they were still screwed…

Swallowing nervously, Squall began to crawl forward with Roxas in toll. He had to at least try to make an effort to get them to safety he told himself.

Roxas saw the way the titan's eyes dilated, as if contemplating on stopping them or not but he answered back with a hard glare of his own. They were almost like wolves fighting for dominance and although Roxas was young, he clearly had the right drive. The only problem was his capacity since he was still a child, but in time, it wouldn't surprise anyone if he did turn out to be an alpha in the coming years. That's if he could manage to survive the current invasion.

The stare off between boy and titan didn't last long though, for a short distance away just right behind the redheaded titan, another one of its kind was slowly marching up the street. It had long rosy colored hair and even from far away Roxas could see that it possessed a pair of pale milky blue eyes that had its gaze locked solely on him and Squall. Despite how slow moving it was, there was purpose in its expression and it wasn't hard to tell who its next victims were going to be.

"Squall, there's another titan and it's heading straight for us! What do we do?!"

"I don't know—we, wait!" Squall's eyes widened as a white horse appeared, running with all of its might towards them. "Fenrir! It's Cloud!"

"Cloud?!" Roxas looked in the same direction and a fresh batch of tears fell down his cheeks. "Cloud!"

"Roxas! Squall!" The older Strife screamed back a reply, his swords at the ready.

The redheaded titan's stare switched to the approaching soldier. Its hair was standing up on end, his instincts telling him to attack but the look of relief on the miniature blonde's face stopped him from making a move once again. At least towards them, however seeing his approaching comrade, it was obvious that he was coming over to finish his job. He could do it though. With a simple smash of his hand he could kill them all in an instant. Like bugs but he didn't—couldn't bring himself to do it. But why?

It was too hard of a question. It needed more time to figure it out. With green eyes moving between the three humans and rose haired titan, the redheaded monster grunted—surprising everyone as it got up and began walking away.

"Roxas!" Cloud jumped off of his horse, running over to the fallen pair, he instantly lifted the crying boy up into his arms.

"Cloud I'm sorry I said those things to you!" The boy exclaimed, his hands instantly reaching up to wrap around his neck. "I'm sorry!"

Sorry? The titan stopped in its tracks. So the boy really did want to apologize to this Cloud, but for what reason, the titan didn't know. It then turned and looked back, keeping one eye locked on the group of humans and the other trained on its comrade. The other titan was getting closer now.

"Cloud…" Squall struggled to at least sit up. "Take Roxas and go, my left leg will slow us down and I'm pretty sure Fenrir can't carry us all back in time before the gate closes if his speed is hindered by our combined weight."

"What? No!" Cloud retorted. Carefully placing his brother on his horse's saddle, he turned and made a grab for his lover and helped him up onto his good leg before seating him on Fenrir as well just right behind the little boy. "You're going to take Roxas and get out of here. I need to stay behind and help the Garrison evacuate the district."

"No! Cloud don't leave me!" Roxas tried to reach out for him but Squall held him still. "I want to go with you! Please don't leave me!"

"Cloud don't do this." Squall said as he held the struggling boy back. Even though he didn't look it, the blond soldier could still see the desperation in the brunet's eyes. "Just switch places with me. You have more reason to live than I do. I'll just be holding you back."

Smiling softly at the brunet, Cloud's reached up and cupped the side of the older man's face. "You know I can't do that. I refuse to abandon you and leave you to die. It would kill me if I did that. And besides we need as many able bodies to hold off the titans for as long as possible."

"Cloud stop playing hero! This is different! You have a brother! Just leave me and get on the damn horse!" Squall tried to yell but the blond brought a hand up to grip him by the back of his head and pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

It was powerful but it was brief and Squall almost wished that it lasted longer, however time wasn't on their side and before he knew it their kiss was over. Squall didn't realize that he was crying the moment he stared down at his lover with wide stormy blue eyes and he was only made aware of it when Cloud brushed the lone tear away from his cheek.

"I'm not playing hero. I'm doing what I know is right as a soldier. Don't think that I'm the only person with someone precious. We all have brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children—and I'm fighting to protect them as well as every other brave man and woman in the military."

"Cloud, I—"

"Take care of him." Cloud said; the demand apparent in his voice. "Swear that you'll take care of Roxas."

This was goodbye the brunet recognized instantly. Cloud wasn't going to say it directly, but he knew—they both knew that this was goodbye. "I swear." Squall replied in a breathless whisper, so quiet that one would have to lean forward to hear his words but the blond soldier heard him loud and clear and he nodded his head.

Cloud gave the brunet one last smile and turned towards his brother. He leaned up to place a firm kiss against his forehead, his fingers combing through the short spikes of blond hair on the boy's head. Roxas instantly hugged him around his neck and tried to jump off of the horse but Squall managed to catch him by the waist and hold him back. "Behave yourself for Squall and down look back."

"No… Cloud, please I'm sorry! Don't leave me please!" Roxas cried miserably. "I'm sorry! I'll listen to you next time, I won't be bad! Just don't go!"

"Then listen to me right now!" He said firmly, prying the other's small arms from around his neck in order to grip him by the shoulders and stop him from shaking. "You're going to survive. You're going to leave me here and go with Squall while I buy you guy's enough time to get out of Shiganshina." Taking the boy's face into his hands, Cloud sniffled softly and tried to hold back the tears he knew were threatening to spill from his blue eyes. "I already forgive you for what you said earlier Roxas. I haven't been a very good brother lately but you mean more to me than you will ever know, which is why I'm going to risk my life to ensure that at the very least, you will survive. You have to survive! Do you understand?"

"Y—yes!" Roxas replied brokenly.

"Good." Brushing his thumb across the younger blonde's cheek, Cloud kissed his forehead one last time. "I love you, I love you both so much... Now go!" Cloud exclaimed shakily and he slapped his horse's rump, signaling the animal to bolt forward without its master.

"Cloud!" Roxas screamed but Cloud made no move to follow as he watched his younger brother reach out towards him. It was so painful for the older Strife, watching his baby brother react hysterically to leaving him behind because he knew that at the rate the titans were pouring into the wall district, it was more than likely that he wasn't going to survive.

Squall didn't look back. He couldn't look back because he knew if he did, he would break down even more. So he had to be brave, he had to be strong for both Cloud and Roxas' sake. His lover had left it up to him to take care of his brother, and no matter what he had to fulfill his promise.

"No! Let me go! Squall turn Fenrir around! We can't leave Cloud!"

"Cloud is doing what he is supposed to do and that is to get as many people out of Shiganshina as possible! Including you! I can't protect you right now when my left leg is out of commission and my gear is as good as useless after that damned titan pulled us down! Now stop struggling!"

"If you love my brother you wouldn't leave him behind!" Roxas shouted.

His outburst only served to further aggravate the brunet though, and in a matter of seconds Squall fisted his hand and brought it down over the blonde's head. Roxas screamed from the pain, his body knocked forward against Fenrir's neck. His head spun from the collision and he was seeing stars.

"How do you think I feel Roxas?! Don't think for a second that you're the only one who loves him!" Squall shot back.

Roxas looked up at him, ready to throw insult upon insults but he stopped himself when he noticed the stream of tears streaking down the brunet's dirt and bruise covered face. It was the very first time he'd seen the older man cry.

"I didn't want to leave him behind either, Roxas! But he's entrusted your safety to me and this is the only way that he can at least try to save you—save us! He loves us too! Didn't you hear him?!" He bit back a sob, choking slightly as he tried to calm himself down. He always had perfect control over his emotions, but now he was falling apart. "Just don't speak anymore Roxas. Just don't speak… We're going to survive and Cloud's sacrifice will not be in vain."

No words could describe the inner turmoil battling within Roxas' heart and he fell limp in the saddle, his body shifting forward. His fingers grabbed at the gray and white strands of long hair from Fenrir's mane. Clutching them tightly, he pulled on them, causing the mare to whiny in protest but it stopped once Roxas' body shook with a quiet sob.

Watching the pair disappear from view, Cloud's trance was interrupted by the grunting of the red haired titan. He stiffened at first but instinct kicked in and he bolted up onto the roof tops with his 3D gear. He managed to get himself a fair distance away from the giant but oddly enough it made no move to follow him. And yet, it still kept his gaze on him and that was what probably put Cloud on edge the most.

The entire time he spent giving his brother and Squall their farewells, this titan had been close by, watching their exchange intently. It had been given so many opportunities to attack them and surprisingly, it chose not to. That in itself made Cloud wonder if it wasn't as mindless of a human eating machine as he thought most titans were and after seeing how the gate of Wall Maria was broken by the colossal giant—it seemed as though there really were titans that possessed some sort of human intelligence after all.

'_Well that's a scary thought.' _Cloud shivered but he recovered himself quickly and glared at the offending creature. "You didn't attack us, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt!" The blond shouted, his right hand gripping his sword tightly as he lifted it up and pointed it at the redheaded titan. "However, if I see you anywhere near me again, I won't hesitate to cut you down so get out of my sight!"

And just like that, Cloud ran across the roof and began maneuvering atop of the buildings. He blatantly ignored the redheaded titan, running off towards the broken gate were a good majority of the titans were still situated.

The deviant-like titan, however continued to watch the blond soldier go and before long, his rosy haired companion came up next to him, only to head butt him right in the forehead.

o0o0o0o

That day, Wall Maria was breached. The titans poured in through the third wall via a makeshift path that'd been made by the armored titan after he demolished the gate between the mainland beyond Wall Maria and the wall district of Shiganshina. Close to over five-hundred people managed to escape, however, the loss of Shiganshina and Wall Maria was only the start of humanity's impending hardships as the population flocked behind the safety of Wall Rose.

Being the youngest son from the noble House of Strife, aid was given swiftly to the injured Roxas and Squall Loire. Before the armored titan made its appearance, the pair were placed on a private ship ahead of the refugees and it carried them beyond Wall Rose and into the very heart of what land still belonged to humanity in Wall Sina.

The bones in Squall's left leg were shattered thanks to the red haired titan and Roxas was no better off after finding out that his right ankle had indeed been broken from the foul play done by the same titan. It was more than likely that Squall would be unable to return to his duties as a member of the Scouting Legion and though it pained him to a certain degree, the brunet was resigned to his fate as long as it meant he could keep a diligent eye on Cloud's only little brother.

Although Squall's injuries were on the edge of being declared as permanent, Roxas still had a chance and he would be damned if he were to be denied the right to fight when the time came to pass.

After a few hours of being on the ship, confined to a bed next to Squall, Roxas' thoughts were filled with only one thing in mind—Cloud. He wasn't the only one thinking about the blond haired soldier though but the two males remained silent, too absorbed in their own thoughts to seek comfort from one another. Powerless, all they could do was pray that there would be a sliver of hope waiting for them by the time they reached the interior. Hope that in the time they'd been separated, Cloud would at least still be alive.

o0o0o0o

Death. Cloud was surrounded by blood and death. Not a single scream could be heard anymore, no one left to fight or run and even he was immobilized, lying helplessly on the rooftop of an unknown building and fighting for his life on his last legs. Correction, one leg. He laughed weakly, morbidly and coughed as small amounts of blood began to fill his lungs. His friends were dead, every last one of them, including his senior Zack Fair after the idiot tried to coax a titan away from one of his injured subordinates. This would certainly be his end. If Cloud didn't die from the blood loss, than it was definite that he would die from being picked up and eaten by a nearby titan—that's if the dumb things actually took the time to stop and consider him as a meal.

He had fought bravely, tried so desperately and he'd been doing well for a while before losing his right leg. Cloud had mentally counted a total of about fifteen solo kills and ten group kills before that wretched female titan came out of nowhere and took a bite out of him as he was gliding across the top of the buildings with his unit. She stood at about twelve meters, with short yet slick blond hair and electrifying blue eyes. Though her height couldn't compare to that of the redheaded titan he saw earlier, she was still wicked fast—definitely a deviant from her abnormal actions and it was frightening to see that she'd rather kill his team than eat them after he crash landed and watched helplessly from a distance. She'd been a titan with an agenda, another intelligent one from what he could surmise and that was scary. There were so many possibilities if that really was the case—that titans were more knowledgeable than humanity was giving them credit for. Cloud didn't want to think about what could happen if it were actually true and at this rate, he probably wouldn't be able to tell anyone about this discovery either.

His nineteen years of life were flashing before his very eyes. Cloud had been eight years old when his father introduced Squall and adopted him into their family, twelve when Roxas was born, thirteen when he became a trainee, fifteen upon entering the Recon Corps and losing his mother to illness, sixteen when he lost his virginity to Squall and seventeen when Luxord sacrificed his life to save him during one of their missions outside of the walls. So much had happened and in only nineteen years.

Roxas and Squall. Those two were his life, his world. He remembered how much he used to resent the brunet for his natural abilities to run faster and play sports better than he did as a child. When they became trainee's together, their rivalry increased but so did their unspoken affections for each other, feelings that they didn't pursue until after their first mission together in the Scouting Legion. And Roxas—he was beautiful, wonderful—so full of adventure and drive for the future of humanity despite his young age, the boy made him and the Scouting Legion so proud.

He missed them, he missed them so much—ached for them really.

"I wish I could see them, just one last time…" He whispered to no one, his eyes gazing up at the orange and smoke filled sky as tears began rolling down his cheeks.

The day was almost over, his life was hanging by a thread now and there was nothing that he could do. The makeshift bandage he used to wrap around his wound was soaked in his blood. It was useless to stop the bleeding at this point. He was fighting a losing battle.

The sound of heavy footsteps shaking the ground perked Cloud's interest and it didn't take long for him to figure out that it was headed straight towards him. It was a titan, there was no mistake and it was probably on its way to put him out of his misery. Well, that's just great Cloud wanted to scoff but he sighed instead, feeling accepting of his fate since his trigger had been jammed and his blades broken upon impact when he first landed on the roof—thus making it impossible for him to get away or defend himself. It was inevitable. He just wished that at the very least, Etro would have spared him the fate of actually witnessing and experiencing his own death because the pain of being bitten into wasn't something he liked very much, thank you.

A dark shadow loomed over him once the titan happened upon his fallen form. This was it, Cloud breathed. Lifting his head up, he was met by the sight of a familiar pair of venom green eyes and a mop of bright red hair, and for a moment the blonde's heart stopped.

"You again?" Cloud's breath staggered. "Come to claim me as your meal?"

The titan just stared at him, eyes burning with an emotion that the blond couldn't very well put his finger on.

"Well, what are you waiting for? I can't uphold my threat to kill you like I said I would last time I saw you if we happen to run into each other again, so hurry up and get on with it... this pain is unbearable." Cloud muttered but he was sure that the giant heard him nonetheless.

The titan was oddly in no hurry though, tilting its head at him, Cloud heard a few grunts and he watched it look around the vacancy for some reason or another. It then turned back to carefully inspect the blonde's physical state from what Cloud could see and after releasing another snort, the titan reached out to pluck him from off of the rooftop.

Suddenly being lifted up into the air like a newborn puppy, Cloud felt his heart race. He could already see himself falling down the monster's throat but was shell shocked when the titan decided to cradle him in its arms instead. He wasn't going to be eaten? Apparently not because once he was tucked away, the redheaded titan began walking towards Wall Maria. Where was he being taken to? Cloud had to wonder.

It was so strange. He was being treated like a porcelain doll in the arms of his enemy and he didn't know what to think. Cloud assumed that he was going to be eaten for later, maybe? But it actually wasn't the case. No, the titan was taking him inland of Wall Maria but was moving at a pace unlike the rest of its kind. From the way he was tucked away as well, it was like he was being hidden from view and he watched one titan after another pass them by and not once did they bat their eyes at the redhead's swift movements.

Where were they going? Cloud wanted to know but from the way his vision was waning, he didn't think he would last long enough to get his answer.

It was probably him trying to be romantic about the situation, but was the titan trying to get him to Wall Rose? To Roxas and Squall? He would like to think so, however he was no expert at reading a titans motives. Still, it was a nice thought to have before he began to close his eyes. Just a minute or two, he told himself but the sound of a piercing roar from above him made Cloud force his eyes open instantly.

"What?!"

The titan growled at him. Did it not want him to close his eyes?

"I'm losing blood here y'know. If you're not going to eat me, I'll die from the blood loss, regardless of whether you end up devouring me or not." Cloud pointed out. "You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

The blond heard a grunt or two, he wasn't quite sure but he took it as a yes.

"I must be crazy, having this kind of conversation with the enemy—no less a titan of all things." Cloud looked up at the monster weakly. He was getting dizzy. "I don't know what you're doing or where you're taking me but if I'm fated to die along the way to wherever we're headed to, would you mind if I tell you about the two most important people in my life?"

The titan responded with a long whimper, green eyes clouded in a way that reminded Cloud of sadness and the blond chuckled softly at him.

"I'll take that as a yes." The blond said as he felt the titan's walk increase faster. "Yeah, time is most definitely _not _on my side big guy so I better start now if I want to tell you about them. My name is Cloud Traverse Strife, and the two people that I cherish with all of my heart are my baby brother, Roxas Corvalis Strife and my partner, Squall Loire Leonhart."

o0o0o0o

He'd been too late. He tried his best to make it to Wall Rose in time, but the blond still succumbed to his injuries and there wasn't a thing that he could do other than hold the dying man's hand during his final moments.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make your wish come true, but at the very least I tried and because of my efforts, you still managed to find some peace in the end." He said, warms fingers brushing the flaxen blond hair away from the peaceful face of Cloud Traverse Strife. "It shouldn't be too long until they find you, nevertheless you and your family interest me, and I especially liked how fondly you talked about your brother, Roxas Corvalis Strife." He grinned softly before releasing a chuckle.

"Roxas. I'll definitely commit him to memory. After all, no one has ever looked at me with so much intensity before, especially not a child."

o0o0o0o

A day after the fall of Wall Maria, Cloud Traverse Strife's body was found atop of the wall that surrounded the Trost district. No one could fathom how he ended up there all the way from Shiganshina but they assumed it'd been by some miracle that he managed to escape without being entirely eaten. Some even went so far as to say that the angels saved him since he was much too angelic of a man to fall prey to the hands of a titan instead of the grim reaper himself and other's simply called it dumb luck.

Whatever the case, his body was promptly returned to Roxas and Squall and arrangements for his funeral were made within the hours following the news of his death.

Now that he was the only remaining survivor of the noble house of Strife, Roxas was naturally given the title as the new head of the near extinct family. However, with him still being a child, the Caelum House was given custody of the orphaned boy. Unfortunately for them, they had little to no control over how Roxas would react to the new arrangement and after throwing tantrum after tantrum, they finally left him in Squall Loire's care. The only thing that they could do to appease the agreement of taking care of Roxas without provoking his wrath was ensuring that he remained up to date with the politics happening in the king's court. Just because he was still a seven year old boy, didn't mean that he wasn't a threat to the other nobles. On the contrary, he still had a hand in the private education system that'd been installed specifically for the upper class and nobility thanks to his mother, the former head mistress, Lady Cosmos before she died of illness. Not only that, but as a supporter of the Scouting Legion's ideals, Roxas needed to learn the ropes of the interior's legislation in order to survive being in a room full of diplomatic pigs who had no real understanding of the hardships humanity was faced with.

Many people, particularly the nobles, the Scouting Legion and those who had been close to Cloud attended his funeral. The church house was surprisingly full and though many shared a few words and memories about the blond, Roxas and Squall could not find it in their hearts to do the same. What they felt for Cloud was different and no one could understand them, even if they said they did. They mourned silently together in the excruciating hours of the ceremony and when the casket was closed and taken to be buried next to Luxord and Cosmos' graves—that was the moment that Roxas finally broke down into a quiet sob.

No one knew how to give the recently orphaned boy comfort and it was made even more difficult to try when there was a protective aura emitting from off of Squall Loire.

Roxas and Squall ended up being the last ones standing in front of Cloud's gravestone after the last shovels of dirt finally covered the six foot hole that the older sibling had been buried in. In Squall's case, he'd been confined to a wheel chair whereas Roxas held himself up with a pair of crutches. Although their movements were hindered by injuries sustained from the invasion in Wall Maria, they stayed, mentally paying their respects.

"Squall?"

"Hm?"

"You're not going back to the Scouting Legion, are you?" Roxas asked; his eyes still glued to his brother's gravestone.

"I won't be able to because of what that titan did to my leg." Squall replied quietly with a hint of dismay in his voice. "Doctor Vexen said I'll most likely have trouble walking even after it heals and because of it, the limp will probably prevent me from fighting titan's like I use to and I can't take that risk when there's you to worry about if I were to go back. That's why I'll be honorably discharged from the military and become your caretaker."

Roxas glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "Honorably discharged? But you'll still contribute to the Scouting Legion somehow, won't you?"

"Yes, but only after I make a recovery." Squall shrugged. "I'll probably babysit some trainee's every now and then, maybe even scare them a little—however it is you that will be my top priority from now on."

"Me?" It was then that Roxas turned his body fully towards the older male. He struggled a little on his crutches but he did his best and gave the brunet a serious look. "If I'm to be your charge, then the condition is that you have to train me to become a soldier."

"What?" Squall stared.

"You heard me, I want you to train me so that I can prepare myself and join the Scouting Legion. You were one of the best and you know what its' like out there."

"Roxas…" He clicked his tongue with a sigh. "Don't be rash, you can wait until you're thirteen to become a trainee—" Squall didn't have enough time to finish his sentence though, not when Roxas was refusing to listen to him as the child growled and stumbled towards him on his crutches.

"That's not good enough!" Roxas yelled at him suddenly, his small form standing equally to Squall's height since he was seated in a wheel chair. "I can't wait that long! You have to teach me how to use the 3D maneuvering gear as soon as possible! Teach me how to fight hand to hand, teach me how to survive and teach me how to kill titans!"

"Roxas…"

"Squall please! I can't just sit around and do nothing like those fat pigs who have control over everything in our government! And especially not after what happened in Shiganshina! People are dying! They're starving out there and no one in Wall Sina seems to care! I'll do anything you tell me! Just please, train me!" Roxas cried desperately. He didn't know what else to do. He had no one left, no one except Squall to call family but even then he was still alone. He wasn't Cloud.

First illness took his mother away and then the titans—they took his father and now because of them his brother was gone too. The titans were pushing humanity further and further inland until there would be nothing but civil rivalry between everyone after being forced into a confined space. At the rate things were going, Roxas felt as though in time, humanity would become their own downfall and it was something he dreaded to see.

Roxas truly was a member of the House of Strife. His thought process was no different from his father's and after being surrounded by the Scouting Legion all of his life, his push for the future, for change had grown just as strong. Cloud and them, they would all be very proud Squall thought to himself.

Looking past the younger blond, the brunet eyed the line of gravestones, each one representing Luxord, Cosmos and Cloud. What would they think if they heard Roxas' pleas? Luxord had been proud that he and Cloud chose to join him with the scouts while Cosmos had been less enthusiastic about it but she still showed her support in subtle ways like sending home grown fruits and vegetables to their base. Still, the minimum age to be allowed to join the military (not the trainee program) was fifteen years old and Roxas had about eight years left until then.

'_Eight years huh?' _Squall thought to himself. Biting his lower lip, the brunet knew that he would probably regret doing what he was about to do.

Roxas' gaze fell to the ground. He was begging at this point. "Squall, please, please train me…"

"Eight years." Squall stated.

"What?" Roxas looked up at the older man, blue eyes staring frantically at him.

"You have eight years until you turn fifteen. That's the age you're qualified to enlist at the earliest however you must endure the required training for three years before that. But you want to be trained now…" Squall eyed him.

"Is it possible?"

"You're crazy to want to undergo the military training when you're still just a child." Squall observed and it made Roxas glare defensively at him. "It's rigorous and some people have actually died from it. Do you honestly think you can do it?" He questioned, stormy blue eyes narrowing at the blond as he challenged him to make a decision.

Roxas was undeniably brash but after everything that'd been happening in the last few days, he had so much time to think everything through and if the opportunity was presented to him then…

"Yes!" He screamed.

"Then you've sealed your fate..." Squall closed his eyes and breathed through his nose shakily. _'Cloud, I'm sorry if this disappoints you…' _

"I've been thinking about this for a long time, I know exactly what I'm getting into." Roxas said.

Squall wanted to tell him that he had no idea what he was agreeing to but the fire in his blue eyes told the brunet otherwise and he shut his mouth and kept silent. It was exactly like Cloud's, the desire, the determination he had even in battle; it was a haunting sight for him to see.

"Your training will begin once both of our injuries heal up." Squall said as he began turning his chair around. "So until then, mentally prepare yourself for what is to come because I plan to train you hard enough to be considered in the top ten when the time comes for you to be sent off to the training program." Pausing, he then glanced over his shoulder. "Is that understood?"

"Understood sir!" Roxas clenched his right hand and brought it up against his chest, giving the brunet the military salute that he knew by heart.

'_He's still so young…' _Squall thought sadly. "Good and from now on—it's Leon, not Squall."

**A/N:** Okay, there's part one. The scene between Cloud, Roxas and Squall was the hardest part for me to write because it was really heartbreaking for me to imagine. Actually, I ended up just tearing up as I was writing and editing the entire chapter and I'm still belittling myself for doing what I did but I know that for a story like Shingeki no Kyojin, it's unlikely that everyone will manage to survive in the end no matter how big of a role they play in the storyline. We can't all come back from the dead like in Kingdom Hearts T.T Oh, Cloud… he was my very first Final Fantasy crush, I'm so sorry baby! D;


End file.
